Rory Burns, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes
England opener Rory Burns has welcomed ECB's initiative to impart anti-racism training to its players after a survey found that the malaise is widespread across the rank and file of English cricket.
In the survey, done by the Professional Cricketers' Association, 45 per cent of more than 600 respondents claimed that racism had come from a fellow player, 10 per cent said it was from a coach, and around 30 per cent had experienced it on social media or from fans.
About 62 per cent of the surveyed players agreed with the suggestion, while 70 per cent believed specific education on racism and diversity would help improve the situation.
"I think, all we can do to keep it relevant and keep people aware. This game is important and it is great to see PCA, ECB, you know, making it necessary and educate players. I think it increases diversity and that is a positive thing for me," said Burns.
In the PCA survey, out of the respondents, 24 were identified as black, Asian or from ethnic minority backgrounds (which is around 90 per cent of the number of BAME players in the game).
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will introduce an anonymous phone line to report racism, issue guidance on how people can be held to account for breaches and a forum for sharing experiences of racism, the report added.
"We needed to start somewhere. This gives us a clear direction of travel and it is an ambition to increase engagement with our members on this issue," said Rob Lynch, the PCA's chief executive.
"The option to do nothing was not there so the fact it has led us in this direction is a positive for the game."
The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement following death of black-Amercian George Floyd found strong support from sportspersons across the globe.
